Cradock was the first federally planned community in the nation. Designed
by George B. Post & Sons, an architectural firm from New York, the community pioneered the use of concealed utility lines. The early town had government-
built schools, sewage and water systems, electric street lighting, individual
phone lines, as well as a fire station, a recreational area, a commercial area,
and a public transportation system.

The community was named after Sir Christopher Cradock, the British commander of the North American and West Indian stations who died when his ship was sunk by German vessels during the 1914 Battle of Coronel off the coast of central Chile. It is unknown whether the the United States or the British Admiralty nominated Sir Cradock's name for this new community. What the naming of Cradock did was set the tone in naming future government-sponsored communities in the nation after military heroes.